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The *ONLY* After Hours thread about the European Championships.

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Comments

  • #872
    fryup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    crazygeryy wrote: »
    But be that as it may........YOULL NEVER BEAT THE IRISH!

    :confused: croatia just did


  • #873
    Elmer Blooker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,592 ✭✭✭Elmer Blooker


    Elmer Blooker wrote: »
    Oh dear! there's an awful lot of optimism around. I'm terrified a technically gifted side like Croatia will do what Russia did to us in the two games in the qualifying group - tear us to shreds. Our midfield is very mediocre :(
    A long night for Given and Dunney on Sunday I fear.
    Posted last Thursday:
    I knew what was coming. We weren't playing a Montenegro or Macedonia last night !


  • #874
    Dr.Silly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,759 ✭✭✭Dr.Silly


    Elmer Blooker wrote: »
    Posted last Thursday:
    I knew what was coming. We weren't playing a Montenegro or Macedonia last night !

    Your medal is in the post sir.


  • #875
    Lord Bafford
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 77 ✭✭Lord Bafford


    I think the false sense of optimism stemmed from peoples' desire to recover some pride after the humiliating bank bailouts and various other political failures.

    Now the wheels are off the bandwagon.


  • #876
    beco2010
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 245 ✭✭beco2010


    Lord Bafford wrote: »

    Now the wheels are off the bandwagon.
    well this bandwagon well certainly blow up this thursday

    but who knows

    up the alamo


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  • #877
    dr.bollocko
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 35,948 Mod ✭✭✭✭dr.bollocko


    Lord Bafford wrote: »
    I think the false sense of optimism stemmed from peoples' desire to recover some pride after the humiliating bank bailouts and various other political failures.

    Now the wheels are off the bandwagon.
    Lord Bafford wrote: »
    You'll never beat the Irish? :confused:

    Anyway, I for one am mighty chuffed at last night's result. When I discovered Croatia -- a decent team -- were better than even money I plonked 50 yoyos on them.

    Easiest money I've ever earned. What were the bookies thinking? Ireland are a team of aging misfits and journeymen not fit for the Conference league.

    Nobody move.

    They can't see you if you don't move.


  • #878
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    Dr.Silly wrote: »
    It's unbelievable some of the posts on this thread.

    Ireland were unlucky my arse ...we got beaten by a better team, end of.
    The optimism prior to the game thinking we could qualify was an absolute joke.

    "End of", my hole. Three points here:

    1. Ireland were unlucky in two instances a).We had a stonewall peno denied to us and b). if you look carefully at the replays, Ward had the back of his foot kicked by a Croatian player when he was trying to clear the ball - this led to him directly passing it onto the Croatian striker for the 2nd goal.

    2. Ireland were beaten by a better team.

    3. Taking into account the results during the qualifiers, we had every reason to be optimistic going into the tournament. Up until last night, we had got the basics right, by defending well for the most part & conceding very few goals. That went out the window after 3 minutes last night and even though we made a good attempt to get back into the game, we let the basics slip time & time again and invited the Croats onto us.

    The fact that we lost was down to a combination of all the above. If you want to dismiss the game as just a poor performance by a poor team, then that's up to you, but in reality, that's only part of the story.

    And as for the optimism... the kind of spirit that the fans showed last night is something to be proud of. Fair play to them... and Come on you Boys in Green!!


  • #879
    ninebeanrows
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,780 ✭✭✭✭ninebeanrows


    We must be confident.

    If Italy can beat Croatia on Thursday, we will go into the Spain match knowing get a point and beat the Italians and we are through.

    The strangest things can happen in football.

    At the start everybody expected:

    Beat Croatia
    Loss to Spain
    Draw against Italy.

    Maybe now it will be the flip opposite!

    I don't think it beyond the bounds of possibility for us to nab a point.

    The most important thing is that Croatia are beaten, if not it won't look good!


  • #880
    Bell Butter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 127 ✭✭Bell Butter


    Weathercheck wrote: »
    We must be confident.

    If Italy can beat Croatia on Thursday, we will go into the Spain match knowing get a point and beat the Italians and we are through.

    The strangest things can happen in football.

    At the start everybody expected:

    Beat Croatia
    Loss to Spain
    Draw against Italy.

    Maybe now it will be the flip opposite!

    I don't think it beyond the bounds of possibility for us to nab a point.

    The most important thing is that Croatia are beaten, if not it won't look good!

    It would be great but we are kidding ourselves. Ireland are rubbish and always will be when you have the premiership teams that these guys play for telling them not to get injured in international games.

    There's no passion in any of them, well except for Shay Given.


  • #881
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    Bell Butter wrote: »
    It would be great but we are kidding ourselves. Ireland are rubbish and always will be when you have the premiership teams that these guys play for telling them not to get injured in international games.

    There's no passion in any of them, well except for Shay Given.

    Another 3 points:

    1. Ireland aren't rubbish. They're not the most talented bunch of players, but they're still decent enough to get themselves into the Euros - a feat that even the likes of Belgium couldn't achieve with their stars like Shaqiri, Vermaelen, Vertonghen etc.

    2. Most of the Irish squad aren't Premiership players.

    3. The one thing the players don't lack - above anything else - is passion and spirit when they play for their country. It may not have seen like that in how they played last night, but in many ways, last night's game was a very a-typical Ireland performance.


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  • #882
    _Gawd_
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 410 ✭✭_Gawd_


    Can't fathom how people are wondering where it all went wrong or cursing the luck the Croatians had - I honestly think to myself if these people that claim to watch football throughout the year have any idea whatsoever about the basic knowledge of the game. I blame the media for the role they've played over the last number of months in hyping everyone up for absolutely nothing but of course, they're their to sell a product.

    Ask yourself one simple question. How many of those players on the pitch last night would have been allowed into the dressing room to wash boots during the Euros of '88 or the World Cups of '90/'94? We don't produce footballers anymore - we haven't done so in 15 years, let alone the quality and talent 25 or 30 years ago. Last night I seen a lot of players that should be applauded for their service but should be let go as they're past their sell-by dates.

    It's time for re-building and it starts with the kids at home. A friend of mine coaches under 12's and none of them understand the importance of a good touch. The mentality is to hoof the ball as far up the pitch as possible and deal with what comes later. There is no strategic element, skill or ability or emphasis on playing football at all. If you look around the world, almost every footballing nation of note has a thriving, competitive and talented pool of players from which to nurture and grow from their domestic leagues - we don't. If a player looks to have what it takes it's off to England to sit on the bench in the Championship and if they're lucky, might make it into the Premiership one day.

    This is not a guaranteed recipe for success. Walters has 11 goals in 50 odd games for Stoke, Long has 6 in 30 odd and Doyle has 4 in 33. We don't have a Rooney or a quality player we can depend on and have confidence in saying "yeah, one chance and he'll get us a goal". We're not good enough - but with some serious organising and re-arranging here at home, then we might be able to build something for the next generation of kids because that's where the buck stops.


  • #883
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Hopefully the result yesterday will have provided some reality checks. I think Irish people are so used to supporting the likes of Barcelona and United, they demand similar levels of success from the national team they are lumbered with by unfortunate accident of birth.

    The fact that Ireland are even in the Euros; have produced quite a few top quality players down the years; have mid-table national UEFA ranking and our domestic league is ranked relatively respectably enough - 33rd of of 53 countries, despite widespread apathy and denigration toward it from the Irish sporting public - is a pretty decent achievement for a country of 4 million with very popular indigenous sports and rugby in competition with football.

    Time to recalibrate expectations, I think.


  • #884
    Ares
    Site Banned Posts: 549 ✭✭✭Ares


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    Another 3 points:

    1. Ireland aren't rubbish. They're not the most talented bunch of players, but they're still decent enough to get themselves into the Euros - a feat that even the likes of Belgium couldn't achieve with their stars like Shaqiri, Vermaelen, Vertonghen etc.

    Wow Shaqiri is now with Belguim? When did this happen?

    Also Belguim are in fantastic shape going in to the future, they'll be a regular feature at Euro's and World Cups for the next 10 years. Trap should have tried to bring through new players 2 years, decided not to, and now the Dunne, Given, Keane and Duff generation are finished and we're staring at nothingness for the next 5 years.
    starbelgrade wrote: »
    2. Most of the Irish squad aren't Premiership players.

    That's bollocks. Absolute spoof bollocks. 17 of the 23 man squad played in the Premiership this year. 18 if Kevin Foley wasn't withdrawn for McShane.
    starbelgrade wrote: »
    3. The one thing the players don't lack - above anything else - is passion and spirit when they play for their country. It may not have seen like that in how they played last night, but in many ways, last night's game was a very a-typical Ireland performance.

    Passion and spirit are the kind of cliches that continue to hold back Irish football. Until technical ability becomes more valued than commitment and passion then Irish football will stay in a technical black hole. It should be a bonus not a key requirement.


  • #885
    electrobanana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,420 ✭✭✭electrobanana


    Calm down lads don't worry we'll beat Spain 17-0 and draw 0-0 with Italy to scrape through.


  • #886
    DB10
    Site Banned Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭DB10


    Keane and Duff are finished, time to bench them. Get McLean and Walters/Long in pronto.

    Were fooked, so depressing :(


  • #887
    ringadingding
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,010 ✭✭✭ringadingding


    Any of you rooting for England tonight ?
    It probably won't happen, but i'd love to see the frogs stuffed tonight ....


  • #888
    Kamjana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 246 ✭✭Kamjana


    Forget about last night and watch this video,if it doesnt put a smile on your face then you are dead inside :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwSL-IUym08


  • #889
    DB10
    Site Banned Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭DB10


    I think France should win, England might do a job on them with the pace they have with Young Welbeck and Chamberlain.

    Would rather if none of England, France, Italy or Spain won the tournament. Would like to see some of the rest do it.


  • #890
    ringadingding
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,010 ✭✭✭ringadingding


    Kamjana wrote: »
    Forget about last night and watch this video,if it doesnt put a smile on your face then you are dead inside ]

    I've watched that about ten times the last two days, it's super


  • #891
    oxo_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 336 ✭✭oxo_


    How they can get this far anyway and then not put their heart and soul into the game is a joke. Majority of the team can't even be bothered to sing our national anthem ffs.

    Just another game to some of them to improve their own personal careers. Whatever you say about Keane, at least he puts everything he has into his game, even if it's not good enough on the night, at least he does his best.

    Still believe some Irish players intentionally threw the game.


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  • #892
    electrobanana
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,420 ✭✭✭electrobanana


    oxo_ wrote: »
    How they can get this far anyway and then not put their heart and soul into the game is a joke. Majority of the team can't even be bothered to sing our national anthem ffs.

    Just another game to some of them to improve their own personal careers. Whatever you say about Keane, at least he puts everything he has into his game, even if it's not good enough on the night, at least he does his best.

    Still believe some Irish players intentionally threw the game.

    Irish player threw the game!!! oh how i lol'd at that


  • #893
    DEFTLEFTHAND
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,499 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    oxo_ wrote: »
    How they can get this far anyway and then not put their heart and soul into the game is a joke. Majority of the team can't even be bothered to sing our national anthem ffs.

    Just another game to some of them to improve their own personal careers. Whatever you say about Keane, at least he puts everything he has into his game, even if it's not good enough on the night, at least he does his best.

    Still believe some Irish players intentionally threw the game.

    After breaking their backs to qualify over the past 2 years why would they flush all that hard work down the toilet by throwing the opening game? I believe they all tried their best out there but they just weren't good enough on the night to get a result.


  • #894
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    ringadingding wrote: »
    Any of you rooting for England tonight ?
    It probably won't happen, but i'd love to see the frogs stuffed tonight ....

    Hell no :D I'm with the Apres Match crew of last night, Vive la France! :D


  • #895
    Scioch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,249 ✭✭✭Scioch


    stovelid wrote: »
    Hopefully the result yesterday will have provided some reality checks. I think Irish people are so used to supporting the likes of Barcelona and United, they demand similar levels of success from the national team they are lumbered with by unfortunate accident of birth.

    The fact that Ireland are even in the Euros; have produced quite a few top quality players down the years; have mid-table national UEFA ranking and our domestic league is ranked relatively respectably enough - 33rd of of 53 countries, despite widespread apathy and denigration toward it from the Irish sporting public - is a pretty decent achievement for a country of 4 million with very popular indigenous sports and rugby in competition with football.

    Time to recalibrate expectations, I think.

    Thats all well and good but when our own mistakes lead to our downfall its impossible to accept the defeat as "We aint good enough". Those are professional players, they have zero excuse not to put in a decent shift. Croatia were better yesterday but they didnt destroy us with their blinding skill. Goals were soft, ball was given away time and again and we had little in the way of attack. Which is shameful for any international team in any stage of any competition.

    Any recalibration should be an effort on the part of the management to improve the team rather than settling for bungling along because we havent the players to compete with much better teams. I dont think fans should settle with being poor either. The time of "shur isnt it great we're involved" has long since passed. I dont think anyone was expecting to win the thing or even had anything other than hope that we got out of the group but saying its unrealistic to expect to compete with the likes of Croatia is ridiculous.


  • #896
    Happyman42
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,066 ✭✭✭✭Happyman42


    oxo_ wrote: »
    How they can get this far anyway and then not put their heart and soul into the game is a joke. Majority of the team can't even be bothered to sing our national anthem ffs.

    Just another game to some of them to improve their own personal careers. Whatever you say about Keane, at least he puts everything he has into his game, even if it's not good enough on the night, at least he does his best.

    Still believe some Irish players intentionally threw the game.

    A goal 3 minutes in knocked them (more importantly, knocked the defence) for six, then they brilliantly equalised but conceded again at a critical time, but for a foul the attack would have been foiled.
    It happens and happens a lot in football. The game didn't go to plan. Croatia did their homework, and pressured the defence, they never got to settle but probably would have if it hadn't been for that early goal.
    Take a wee look around you, we have the best fans on the planet who despite the nonsense talked, here and elsewhere, don't, in their hearts, have ridiculous expectations, most if not all of them are over it now and have gotten it into perspective. Spain and Italy allowed each other to play football and looked good, but neither was able to win and despite all the prettiness only scored a goal each. On our day, we can upset teams like that and I think we will do it and I imagine the players think the same. Your conspiracy theory is a nonsense. Everyone of them knows the career enhancing oppurtunity(potential to be more valued financially as a player) the Euro stage is, particularly if they qualify from their groups :rolleyes:


  • #897
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 33,053 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    oxo_ wrote: »
    How they can get this far anyway and then not put their heart and soul into the game is a joke. Majority of the team can't even be bothered to sing our national anthem ffs.

    Just another game to some of them to improve their own personal careers. Whatever you say about Keane, at least he puts everything he has into his game, even if it's not good enough on the night, at least he does his best.

    Still believe some Irish players intentionally threw the game.

    Keane hasn't been good for a very long time, shouldn't be starting. Never been captain material either.

    Best irish player in the PL last season was on the bench for the whole game, Trapatoni would rather play an inexperienced strike out of position than bring him on. He's a joke of a manager.


  • #898
    SeaFields
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,551 ✭✭✭SeaFields


    Mickeroo wrote: »
    Keane hasn't been good for a very long time, shouldn't be starting. Never been captain material either.

    Someone needs to explain the offside rule to him for a start. He also spends more time throwing himself down, in and around the penalty area, than looking to attack the ball and get a shot away.


  • #899
    Diego Maradona
    Closed Accounts Posts: 769 ✭✭✭Diego Maradona


    Yes, we need to beat Spain so we should definitely leave our all time top scorer on the bench.


  • #900
    Scioch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,249 ✭✭✭Scioch


    Diego Maradona wrote: »
    Yes, we need to beat Spain so we should definitely leave our all time top scorer on the bench.

    So he should be starting every match until he dies of old age ?


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  • #901
    oxo_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 336 ✭✭oxo_


    Ball watching (first half ffs), feigning signs of losing concentration (again, first half lol), passing the ball stupidly around and across your own goal, slow pass backs from MIDFIELD to your defenders when there's plenty of options going to the wings or just straight up the middle going forward.
    Bollox, I do NOT believe for a second that players at that level in the game can make such consistently stupid "mistakes" after getting this far, and in the first half too, never mind the second where it wouldn't be as obvious.
    Some players on the field were intentionally feigning mistakes and intentionally trying to lose the ball or give it away. Funnily enough the same players who always refuse to sing the national anthem.

    Even Barton tweeted about Cech's "failing to extend his arms fully" to save the third Goal against them the other night, the sport is going to be destroyed by scum throwing games with their professional "mistakes".

    Watch Spain throw the game against Ireland in the second half.
    Italy won't be allowed to progress due to too many of them involved and being caught already for match fixing, their whole league is destroyed because of it so they'll also throw their game against Ireland.


This discussion has been closed.
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